The Insects associated with Export Produce in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

The problem of insect infestation of stored export food commodities in southern Nigeria is discussed, and a list of insects is given. At the ports there is considerable cross-infestation between commodities produced in northern and southern Nigeria awaiting shipment.Old sacks used for the storage and transit of groundnuts are responsible for the spread of insects to palm kernel and cocoa marketing centres in the south. After bulk shipments of a portion of the groundnut crop, sacks are repaired and distributed for the shipment of palm kernels and some of them may be used by fanners and brokers as service bags for the marketing of cocoa and local food commodities. The importance of disinfestation before distribution is realised, and a small fumigation plant is in operation at port.Ephestia cautella and Lasioderma serricorne are the major pests of stored cocoa beans. Both originate in farmers' and brokers' stores which are rarely cleaned, and in which small parcels of low-grade beans may be retained for mixing with a following crop to conform with an exportable grade. Ephestia cautella also infests palm kernels, and the early abundance of adult moths in cocoa stores up country during the marketing season is considered to be largely due to the storage of palm kernels in the vicinity. The development of Ephestia larvae can be completed on the outside of cocoa beans, only germinated or damaged beans being penetrated.

The Distribution of the Storage Species of Cryptolestes (Col., Cucujidae)

“…G. minutus is the most widespread species in tropical Africa. It is not, however, found in the dry areas of northern Nigeria (Howe, 1952), although it is found in the more humid south (Cotterell, 1952). The products from which G. minutus and G. ferrugineus were collected in Africa are listed in Table I.…”

A Laboratory Study of the Cigarette Beetle,Lasioderma serricorne(F.) (Col., Anobiidae) with a critical Review of the Literature on its Biology

“…The present work was undertaken because L. serricorne has become the principal pest of stored cocoa in West Africa (Cotterell, 1952;Hayward, 1954). Almost all the previous biological information on this species has been derived from work using tobacco, which is a comparatively poor food.…”

Stored‐products entomology in Britain, 1964

“…The high level of infestation found by the Ministry's inspectors in produce in British African Colonies during and after the war caused the Colonial Office, in 1948, to sponsor surveys of infestation in grain in East Africa (Oxley, 1950) and in groundnuts and cocoa beans from West Africa, particularly Nigeria (Cotterell & Howe, 1952;Cotterell, 1953).…”